Vivek Ramaswamy will enter the chat on immigration in Springfield.
The Cincinnati-area native, biotech billionaire and former Republican presidential candidate will hold a town hall in Springfield Thursday evening.
The event, open to the public, will take place in the industrial Ohio town at the epicenter of the nation’s immigration debate and presidential race.
Ramaswamy’s team is “inviting diverse voices from the local community, including Haitian immigrants,” to the town hall, according to the press release.
The cofounder of Moms for Liberty, Tiffany Justice, sent out a press release on Wednesday that she’ll take part in the town hall. Moms for Liberty, a national nonprofit and dark money group based in Florida, has chapters nationwide with activists known for their strong opposition to school curriculum that promotes diversity and the LGBTQ community. Its members often object to book offerings in school libraries.
Since ending his presidential campaign in January after a fourth-place finish in the Iowa Caucuses, Ramaswamy hasn’t announced his future political plans. During the Republican National Convention, said he’d “strongly consider” running for senator in Ohio if Sen. JD Vance should become vice president. Raised in Evendale, outside Cincinnati, Ramaswamy now lives in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington.
What’s happening in Springfield, Ohio
Since President Donald Trump and his running mate, Vance, amplified debunked rumors about Haitians eating pets, bomb threats have closed buildings around town, including Springfield City Hall and multiple elementary schools.
Town officials have said there’s no evidence of any Haitians eating people’s pets.
The Haitians in Springfield emigrated legally and “no government entity is responsible for the influx,” according to Springfield’s own immigration FAQ page.
The immigrants came for the city’s “lower cost of living and available work,” Springfield officials have said, per the immigration FAQ page.
Local officials denounce misinformation
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine have urged politicians to stop spreading misinformation about the town and the Haitian population.
“We did not have threats seven days ago,” Rue said on Tuesday at a press conference with DeWine. “We did not have these concerns seven days ago. We did not have these hundreds and hundreds of dollars spent in Springfield from the state of Ohio in support seven days ago. We do today.”
After word spread that Trump might visit the town, Rue, in a press conference with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, urged the presidential candidates not to come, saying Springfield’s resources are stretched thin.
“If either one of the candidates wanted to come Springfield, it would be very, very difficult to have them here, Rue said. “It would be an extreme strain on our resources. So it would be fine with me if they decided not to make that stop right now.”
If you go
What: Vivek Ramaswamy town hall
Where: Bushnell Events Center, Edward Wren Room, 22 N. Fountain Ave, Springfield, OH
When: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Vivek Ramaswamy to hold town hall in Springfield, Ohio
